PML-N to emerge as main party in polls: IRI survey

WASHINGTON/ISLAMABAD - International Republican Institution (IRI) has revealed that Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) would emerge as the main party in the National Assembly with 32 per cent increase in its popularity while popularity graph of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has gone down to 18 per cent.A survey carried out by the International Republican Institute (IRI) during 2012 revealed that the popularity of the PML-N has gone up from 28 per cent to 32 per cent, while the popularity of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf has decline from 24 per cent to 18 per cent attaining the second position, whereas Pakistan People’s Party attained third position with 14 per cent vote bank. Balochistan is the only province where the PPP's popularity showed upward trend.Pakistan Muslim League-Q which is losing its popularity could secure only two per cent votes. The report further revealed that the popularity graph of the PTI in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has gone up to 32 per cent. The PML-N also gained popularity from 9 per cent to 12 per cent whereas JUI-F also saw an upward trend in popularity in the province. In Punjab, the popularity of the PML-N increased from 43 per cent to 49 per cent, where as PPP popularity graph rose from 7 per cent to 8 per cent, while PTI is popular in 19 per cent people. In Balochistan, the popularity graphs of all the political parties, except PTI, witnessed an upward trend. The popularity of the PML-N has increased from 8 percent to 13 per cent, PPP from 5 per cent to 18 per cent, JUI-F from 4 to 8 per cent. In Sindh, the popularity of PPP has declined from 39 per cent to 32 per cent, PML-N popularity increased from 6 per cent to 8 per cent, MQM from 11 percent to 16 per cent, the popularity of PTI is 9 per cent and that of PML-Q is only one percent. According to the survey, majority of the people opposed the South Punjab province. 32 per cent people considered inflation as the biggest problem in Pakistan, whereas 20 per cent considered unemployment as the number one problem.

This news was published in The Nation newspaper. Read complete newspaper of 28-Jan-2013 here.